Banjo and the like



July 19 1921, 1, 44

C. H. RICHTER BANJO AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 12, 1925 06/7101" arL jffflc/zf e1 Patented Jul 19, 1927.

unites STATES PATENT oFFicE.

CARL H. RICHTEI, OF CHICAGO, ILLILIOIS, ASSIGNORTO'R ICHTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BANJO AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 12, 1925. Serial No. 74,966.

Thisinvention relates to improvementsin banjos and the like and it consists oi the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out'in the appended claims. I The main objects of the present invention are to improve and simplify the construction of the body or shell and the parts associated therewith, of a banjo or siinilar instrument, so that the instrument will not. only be more durable in construction and lighter in weight, but will be more attractive in appearance and capable of being produced at a greatly reduced cost.

These objects of the invention, as well as others together With the" many advantages thereof, will more fully appear. as proceed with my specification.

In the drawings r Fig. 1 is a top plan view ol' the shell end ota banjo or similar instrument, em

bodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view. in side elevation of the same. v

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one side of the shell on an enlarged scale as taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4: is detail view in elevation of the tailpiece of thebanjo or similar instrument. Referring now in detail 'to that embodiment oi the invention illustrated injthe accompanying drawing, 1 indicates as, a whole theshell orbody of a banjo orylike instrument and 2 indicates the neck thereof. As shown herein said shell is made otalight gauge strip o1- metal, rolled into the form of a ring'or annulus and includes an upright sidewall 3 of the'same diameter throughout. The top marginal portion of. the shell is turned over at a. right angle to form an inwardly extending top flange I joined to said wall by a rounded corner 5 as best shown in Fig. 3, so as to present no sharp corners to the head skin or vellum later to be described. The bottom marginal portion of the shell is turnedihwardly and s yf ewa y e t hewnie ei i .2 3 so as to provide. a rounded bottom edge like flangef fl for the shell which cannot catch upontheclothing of the person playing the instrument or in no manner manthe'finish of a table or like surface upon which the instrument maybe placed.

Said shell is also formed to provide an integral outwardly extending flat bracket flange. f a; dsubl tl i lifiess of meal a iranged nearer the bottom edge of the shell than the top edge. In said flange which is formed 01 double thickness of metal, is provided a plurality of arcuately spaced openings 7, only one oi which 18 shownin Fig. 8. A shell made as described, although formed of thin sheet metal, is light in weight, and is strong and rigid and will'not warp nor can it be easily bent out of shape due to therough handling to which-it may sometimes be subject-ed.

8 indicates the head for the instrument which may be made of skinor Vellum as is usual in instruments of this kind. The peripheral margin ofsaid head'is suitably se" curedto a flesh ring or hoop 9 of a diameter to snuglyfit over the top end of the shell. Associated with said head is a strain ring or hoop 10. Said hoop is made of a flat metallicband in the form of a ring or annulus andis adapted to'engage at'its' bottom edge with the flesh ring or hoop, the top edge of said hoop projecting a suitable strain hoop 1O downwardly toward the ness upon the head, the number of brackets employed, of course depending upon the diametric size of the shell or body. Each bracket'in'cludes a cylindrical and threaded shank 11 and-a somewhat flattenedtop part 12, the free end of which isbent over to provide a hook to engage the top edge oi the distance above thefplane of the head Brackets are provided for drawing the flange or "rib 7 to impose the desired tautend from belowthe flange is the usual adjustment nut 13. In tightening up the nuts which abut said flange-the brackets act to draw the strain hoop downwardly and as said hoop engagesthe flesh ring 9, the head. may be drawn taut to the desired degree. In this movement of the strain hoop and flesh ring, the headis drawn down over the rounded corner 5 of the-shell, whichin no manner acts to out or otherwise injure the skin or vellum oflt'hehead.

The neok includes a'butt portion lfl of a depth greater thanthe main body portion,

and the end of saidbutt portion is rounded concav ely to fit' 'against the shell as best shown in'Figs. 1 and 2. In said concaved' end of 'thefbutt near thetop sur'jace'ot'the flesh ring 9 and said groove is of: a height greater than the flesh ring to accommodate the movement thereot' under the action of? tightening up the brackets. Below said groove is another groove 16 in which the flange 7 of the shell snugly fits as shown in Fig. 3. Integral with the butt is :1 Iongitudlnal extension 17 which projects through a suitable opening in the shell and extends diametrically across the. same, a

screw 18 being inserted through the shell from the outside and threaded into the end of said extension thus securely affixing the shell and neck together. The top surface of the neck which is flat has the usual fret bars 19. d

On that part of the shell diametrically opposite the neck is a tail piece indicated by the numeral 20 as a whole. Said tail (piece is of an inverted L shape and inclu es a horizontal part 21 and vertical part 22. 23 indicates the various strings of the instrument, the rear ends of which pass under the tail piece' part 21 to be suitably anchored in the vertical part of the tail piece as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Said strings pass over a bridge 24 supported on the head and then extend over the top surface of the neck and above the fret bars 19 thereon to be at tached to the usual tuning pins not herein shown. The top marginal portion of the strain hoop 10 is cut away as at 10 for the passage of the strings.

In the bottom end of the vertical part of the tail piece is formed a key hole shaped opening to receive the head on the top end of a tension bolt 26, the bottom end of which passes through the shell flange 7 and has a nut 27 threaded thereon belowsaid flange. By tightening up on, said nut, thetailv piece may be tightly but. removably secured in place upon the shell.

My improved construction has many advantages. Although light in weight the shell. thereof is of such rigidity as will amply resist the strains imposed upon it without warping or bending out of shape. The shell may be more economically made and is not only attractive in appearance but is so formed as to present no sharp corner to the skin or vellum head and no sharp corners to catch upon the clothing of the person playing the same. The improved construction is applicable to banjo-ukes, tenor-banjos and mandolin-banjos so that the description of the invention herein is to be so taken as to include all of said instruments.

A further and particular advantage of in improved constructionresides in the fact that there is a distinct improvement in the tone of the instrument. This is a musical instrument and of course the tone quality is instrument of this character, counter vibrations are set up in the playing of the instrument so that the tone is necessarily afl'ected adversely. This is exactly what I tind has obtained in an instrument of this kind heretotore devised and by actual test with my device Itind that the construction does actually improve the tone. As before stated my shell is of one piece construction and the flange T of the shell is so formed and constructed that it is extremely rigid in character andv not subject to be set in vibration when the instrument is in use.

\Vhile in describing my invention, I have referred to many details of mechanical construction as well as form and arrangement of the arts thereof, the same is for the purpose oi illustration only, so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An instrument of the kind described embod ing therein a thin sheet metal shell forme to provide an integral flat bracket flange thereon of a double thickness of metal, a head including a flesh ring, fitted upon one end of the shell, a strain hoop engaged with said flesh ring and a part of said head and brackets engaged with said strain hoop and flange respectively and means to adjusting said brackets.

2. An instrument of the kind described embod ing therein a thin sheet metal shell formev to provide an integral flat bracket flange thereon of a, double thickness of metal, a head including a flesh ring, fitted upon one end of the shell, a strain hoop engaged with said flesh ring and part of said head and brackets having a hooked engagement at one end with said strain hoop and extending at their other ends through and beyond said flat flange and nuts threaded on said brackets below and in engagement with said flange.

3. An instrument of the kind described embodying therein, a thin sheet metal shell formed with an inwardly extending integral flange at its top end and with an outwardly extending integral flat flange of a double thickness of metal below said top end, a head including a flesh ring fitting upon said top end with the head in engagement with said inwardly extending top flange and with the flesh ring below the same, a strain hoop seated upon the flesh ring and brackets having a hooked engagement at one end with said strain hoop and extending through and beyond said flat flange and nuts threaded upon said brackets below and in engagement with said flat flange.

4..An instrument of the kind described embodying therein, a thin sheet metal shell formed with an inwardly extending integral flange at its top end and with an outwardly extending integral flat flange of double thickness below the said top end, a headineluding a flesh ring fitting upon said top end of said shell and with the head in engagement with said inwardly extending flange and with the flesh ring below the same, a strain hoop seated upon the flesh ring and brackets operatively engaged at one end with the strain hoop and at the other end with said outwardly extending flat flange of double thickness, and nuts associated. with said brackets engaging the last mentioned flange and providing adj ustment of said brackets.

5. An instrument of the kind described, embodying therein, a thin sheet metal shell formed with inwardly extending flanges at the top and bottom ends thereof, and an outwardly extending integral flat flange of a double thickness of metal between said. top and bottom ends, a head including a flesh ring fitting upon said top end with the head in engagement with the inturned flange at the top end of the shell and with the and having their bottom ends extending through and beyond said outwardly extending integral flat flange and nuts threaded on said last mentioned ends of the brackets and engaging against the undersideof said last mentioned flange.

6. A shell for an instrument of the kind described embodying therein a thin sheet metal endless ring having inwardly extending flanges at its top and bottom ends and an outwardly extending flat flange of double thickness, between said ends, said last mentioned flangehaving arcuately spaced openings therein for the brackets usually associated therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 25th dayiof November, 1

CARL H. RICHTER. 

